1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioner for a vehicle, and more particularly, to an air conditioner for a vehicle, which can reduce investment costs, development expenses and the development period of time because all parts excepting an intake duct can be used commonly in RHDs (Right Handle Drives) and LHDs (Left Handle Drives), and which can reduce a loss of air volume because air holes for cooling a motor are formed at positions to minimize resistance of the air discharged from a scroll case.
2. Background Art
In general, an air conditioner for a vehicle is to cool or heat the inside of the vehicle by sending the inside air or the outside air of the vehicle after heating or cooling the air. The air conditioner for the vehicle includes an air-conditioning case that has an evaporator, a heater core, and an air mode converting door therein, wherein the evaporator functions to cool the air, the heater core functions to heat the air, and the air mode converting door selectively blow the air cooled by the evaporator or the air heated by the heater core to each part inside the vehicle.
According to mounted structures of a blower unit, an evaporator unit and a heater core unit, such an air conditioner is classified into a three-piece type air conditioner where the blower unit, the evaporator unit, and the heater core unit are disposed independently, a semi-center type air conditioner where the evaporator unit and the heater core unit are embedded in an air-conditioning case and the blower unit is mounted separately, and a center-mounting type air conditioner where the three units are all embedded in the air-conditioning case.
In the meantime, in order to increase efficiency of the interior space of the vehicle, consumers demand compact and small-sized air conditioners, and conventionally, in response to the consumers' demand, the semi-center type air conditioners where the evaporator unit and the heater core unit are formed integrally in an air-conditioning case were mainly used.
However, recently, development of the center-mounting type air conditioners where the blower unit, the evaporator unit, and the heater core unit are mounted integrally with one another is on the increase. As an example, FIG. 1 illustrates such a center-mounting type air conditioner.
The center-mounting type air conditioner 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes: a scroll case 30 that is disposed on an inlet side thereof and has a centrifugal fan therein; an air-conditioning case 10 that is disposed on an outlet side thereof and has a plurality of air outflow ports 13; an intake duct 20 that is joined to a side of the scroll case 30 and having an inside air port 21 and an outside air port 22 for selectively introducing the inside air or the outside air; a motor housing 35 that is joined to the other side of the scroll case 30 and has a motor mounted therein for driving the centrifugal fan 31; an evaporator 40 and a heater core 50 mounted inside the air-conditioning case 10; at least one temperature control door 15 mounted inside the air-conditioning case 10 to control temperature by adjusting a mixed amount between a cold air bypassing the heater core 50 and a warm air passing through the heater core 50; and a plurality of mode doors 16 adapted to control the degree of opening of the plural air outflow ports 13.
Accordingly, when the centrifugal fan 31 is actuated, the inside air or the outside air are sucked through the intake duct 20, and the sucked air is discharged in a radial direction of the centrifugal fan 31 and moved along the scroll case 30, and then, is blown to the inside of the air-conditioning case 10.
The air blown to the inside of the air-conditioning case 10 is cooled while passing through the evaporator 40, and after that, by the temperature control door 15, some of the air bypasses the heater core 50 in a cooled state but the other of the air passes through the heater core 50 to thereby converted into warm air. After that, the cold air and the warm air are mixed in a mixing area, and then, is discharged to the inside of the vehicle through the air outflow ports 13, so that the inside temperature of the vehicle can be controlled appropriately.
Such center-mounting type air conditioners 1 are divided into air conditioners for RHDs (Right Handle Drives) and air conditioners for LHDs (Left Handle Drives). In other words, the intake duct 20 joined to one side of the scroll case 30 is aligned toward the passenger seat where there is no interference of a handle or a pedal.
As described above, in case of the RHD, the intake duct 20 is designed to be joined to the left (in the direction of the passenger seat) of the scroll case 30, but in case of the LHD, the intake duct 20 is designed to be joined to the right (in the direction of the passenger seat) of the scroll case 30.
However, the conventional center-mounting type air conditioners 1 have a problem in that investment costs, development expenses, and the development period of time are increased due to the double development because it is difficult that the center-mounting type air conditioners are used commonly in the RHDs and the LHDs and the air conditioners for the RHDs and the air conditioner for the LHDs must be developed separately.